Bookman
by Chocolatecatfish
Summary: His life was one of lies and deceit, but he was used to it. What he couldn't do, however, was escape his twisted destiny of participating in a war he should never been involved with, no matter how hard he tried.
1. Chapter 1: Bookman

He wasn't anybody, he supposed. Just somebody that helps get rid of time, something that occupies the time of heroes. He was a bookman. Everything served different purposes in life, and his was to record history. It was simple. Heroes made history; Bookmen recorded it down. Bookmen are not heroes. One could even say they are traitors, shadows that stand at the side and watch coldly while comrades die. What those people do not understand, however, is that a Bookman has no comrades, he snorts in contempt. They never understood, and never would. Bookmen put on masks as the occasion saw fit, and pretended and lied and did what they did in the name of duty.

They were the best representative of mankind.

He sighed, rather weary. Bookmen lived forever as long as they do not fall in battle. They would never succumb to trivial things as illness or mortality. Bookmen do not fall in battle. They do not battle.

But he... He was different. He battled. He was deemed to be one of the weapons, one of the heroes. But he had another destiny, they said, and they put him as the apprentice, uncaring of anything else. What, exactly, was God's will? He questioned, at times, and was sharply rebuked. One does not question the invincible beings as they like and choose.

"Is there anything wrong, Lavi?" Ah, one of the heroes. He was important, the Bookman knew, and he shook his head at the white-haired boy. The cursed boy. From what he knew, the curse was a blessing in disguise. Just like his eyes, except that this curse was decided by human minds, not paranormal powers. It was his eyes that got him noticed, got him his hammer, his eye-patch and his apprenticeship.

He hated them.

They made him see the world, battle Akuma, gave him the ability to be suspicious of everybody he met. It gave him power and freedom to see, to suspect, but it caged him in, and he is unable to escape his destiny. His destiny of being a Bookman and an exorcist. Something he never wished for and never wanted. Sure, it made him friends, but it also made him who he was now; a liar, a coward, and alone.

Smiling rather bitterly, he licked his ice cream, the sweetness infringing on the edge of his taste buds, wiping away the unhappiness he cannot conceal, brushing on layers of happiness and cheeriness that he didn't know he had. Acting was involuntary, he thought with slight regret. Such was the life of a Bookman. The ice cream tasted like artificial honey, like the falseness that he was, and he is reminded of how short his life with his friends would be. As much as he wished they were not friends, there was no lying about it. Pity he would have to leave. Smiling rather wryly, he put it aside and walked to catch up with the others, fully aware of, and ignoring, the dull ache of hollow sadness in his heart.

XXX

The world spun for a moment as the Akuma caught him in the stomach. Blood splattered, his blood, onto the cold paved stones as he stumbled back. He was going to die, he supposed. He didn't really care, he realized again. Falling backwards, his back hit the rough pavement and he gasped. "Lavi!" _Here comes the hero, _he thought wryly. But he had one last card to play. One he never wished to use. It was time to escape, to leave the exorcists behind, to start on a new life. _No more attachments this time, _he grimaced as the hammer grew. "Sorry, Allen," he gasped out and summoned the wind element of his hammer. A gale brew, whistling through the buildings, blowing apart the Akuma into ash. At the same time, he launched off, while the ash was getting into the rest of the exorcists' eyes, and disappeared, right in front of their eyes.

_The first part to escaping death._

XXX

He didn't know where Bookman was. All Bookmen had techniques used to escape death and Bookman's was still unknown to all. Roaming rather uncertainly around on the streets all over the world, four years passed him by while he observed, learned and recorded. Ink on paper was all humans were, and he followed the traditional Bookmen's way, hiding in the shadows for observation. One deviation from their technique was that he talked to others, gaining information and skills rather unknowingly to others. Due to this, he had been introduced to a secret branch of the Bookman clan; this branch had the ability to obtain first-person experience in the sense that they were psychics, and could read and peek into others' memories and experience them for themselves. The rarity of these psychics could not be overrated and he was in-training currently, attached to a "senpai" who taught him and trained him in the ways of this branch of the Bookman clan.

Currently, however, she was on a mission somewhere else in the world, and he was left to his own devices to see if he could catch any moments of human life that might seem important. He had done this about half a million times over, and it was quite interesting. Human nature was something he enjoyed studying.

In this clan, he was on his 50th alias; his name remained the same, somehow, strangely, because his "senpai" had requested it; he didn't object. However, in this clan, everybody had nicknames; he was called Red, due to his hair, and responded more to Red than to Lavi now. His "senpai"'s name was Luckie, but her nickname was Hazel, because she had hazel eyes. Nicknames were used by everybody outside this branch of the Bookman clan, and only the people of the same branch would know your real name of this alias. In front of others, only nicknames could be used by the Bookmen as well.

He was a gentleman in his character, and unwilling to harm innocent people during the course of whatever he was doing. He liked slim, tall, quiet girls, and he himself was a quiet, slightly withdrawn person who enjoyed walks, the beach, books and sad music as well as the night. He slept a moderate amount, disliked soba and enjoyed Yakiniku, one of the only traits he shared with his previous alias beside his name. He preferred to wear thigh-high boots, a long, orange, winding scarf around his neck, an eye-patch over his right eye and wore mainly dark colours and long coats, regardless of season. He fought with two daggers of different lengths that were slightly longer than traditional ones, but kept his hammer in a small pouch on his belt next to the rest of his weapons that were usually concealed by his coats. Having gotten used to the rhythm and habit of the clan over time, and was now almost ready to be called a full Bookman.

As he wandered the streets, lollipop in his mouth, his eyes and mind scanned the streets, analysing people and objects, and searching for his mentor who had promised to meet him here. Preoccupied, he turned down a dark alley, a shortcut he knew to the fabric store to maybe get a new scarf to replace his current one that was almost in tatters from his last scrape with an Akuma, he walked straight into a dark-haired female exorcist finishing up an Akuma.

XXX

He turned to leave immediately, but too late; the exorcist had spotted him and had already moved to cut off his escape. "Lavi?" the exorcist's eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of the redhead, taking in his eye-patch and scarf in the dim light available. Her boots skidded to a halt on the rough tarmac and he tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry?" he inquired softly as his fingers tapped out a slightly impatient rhythm at the side of his leg as he felt his mentor's presence on the other side of town. "Lavi! You're alive!" Moving to embrace him, she missed as he sidestepped, a strained, polite smile gracing his features, something she had never seen of him. "I'm Lenalee! Don't you remember?" the confusion that crossed her face pained him but he sighed softly. _Of course I remember. I remember everything, including the adventures of a hero named Lavi, _he thought with a grimace that he didn't show. "I'm sorry, how do you know me again? Have you mistaken me for someone else?" his brows furrowed with a slightly puzzled frown, and she gasped, a sharp intake of breath between her lips as she stepped back. He took that chance to lead her out the alley by the elbow, depositing her outside the sweets shop opposite the shop selling the scarf he wanted. He probably had just enough time to snag what he wanted and pay for it before leaving and meeting up with... Oh, she was in the store already. Act like we are lovers. she commanded, talking to him using telepathy as he stepped into the shop, bell tinkling above his head. What?! But he didn't question her, knowing that she probably had good reasons to do so, and stepped up to her, tilting her head and kissing her lightly on the lips in full view of Lenalee as she followed Lavi into the store.

XXX

The female exorcist's eyes widened just as another exorcist stepped into the store; this one dark-haired as well, his long ponytail swinging as he walked in, and having caught the scene, spun around to leave before noticing Lenalee and Lavi. "What-" His eyes were alight with rage and he drew Mugen before Lenalee could calm him down, and jumped forward to slash at Lavi from behind. However, Hazel blocked his slash with a flick of her fingers as her metal fan revealed itself from the inside of her sleeves and she defended Lavi's back before he could turn to stand next to her. Her face reflected innocent confusion as she glanced at Kanda and Lenalee, then turned her gaze to Lavi.

Hazel-senpai was his mentor, and the most active branch member, also the most powerful, with abilities past the standard psychic. Most psychics could read minds and use telepathy, but she could teleport herself as well as various articles all over the place, as well as put ideas and illusions into others' minds, and in some cases, could slip past other psychics' defences and intrude into their mind. Standing at a rather formidable height of 1.7m (for a girl) with short, black hair and hazel eyes, she was normal except for her height. Easy to remember, even easier to forget. She lived by an odd set of honours, but he respected her all the same and had learnt much from her.

"You bastard! Where were you? We searched all over, we thought you were dead!" Kanda shouted in Lavi's face, but he remained unfazed. "I'm so sorry, have you gotten the wrong person? Red? Do you know them?" Hazel lifted her questioning, slightly troubled gaze to meet Lavi's equally confused one. They both knew that the other was acting; Hazel had already read all of the other three's memories and her gaze turned pitying for a moment before she turned back to Lenalee and Kanda. "I think you've gotten the wrong person... Who's Lavi, though?" she seemed genuinely interested and Kanda scowled darkly at Lavi, ignoring her. "Fight me, now." His gaze was almost murderous and Mugen flashed out before the others could react. Lavi, having anticipated the move, sidestepped so it missed and left the shop in a flash, jumping over rooftops and away from the town centre. Help me get a new scarf, will you? he requested of Hazel as he moved away from the town to a field he knew was abandoned at the side of town. Will do. Don't go crazy there, I know some kids like playing in the fields. See you later, then. Candy store. she replied and he allowed himself a small grin in anticipation of the upcoming battle. He was probably not going to escape with just a torn scarf.

XXX

He didn't expect it to be that easy. Once you could read a person's mind, their entire attack route was known to you and you would know when to defend, when to attack, the strategies to employ. Using only his two daggers, he would say he was defending pretty well. Shut off your mind. This is a good time for you to learn to fight without using your mind, Hazel commanded as she kept tabs on the fight by looking through Lenalee's mind while she was in the town. I need this to fight against Kanda. He is a general, Hazel, he reminded her and felt her snort. You can beat him. Shut off your mind or I'll shut it for you, she insisted and he did so reluctantly. The second before he did that, Kanda's memories regarding him and Allen flashed through his own mind, and all his own bubbled to the surface, causing him to freeze in fear, paralyzed by the strength of the memories surging back to him. You baka! That's why! He's trained in this form of the psychic arts! Hazel reprimanded him just as she dropped into the field, pulling Lavi back from a lethal slash from Mugen and a raging Kanda. Time to go, Lavi, she commanded and teleported the two of them away with a smart, mocking salute to Kanda.

XXX

The room was empty and quiet except for the crackling fire and the mentor and apprentice sitting in the corner, the former sipping her drink and the latter finishing up his dinner. "Thanks, Hazel," he smiled slightly at her and she shook her head, her hazel eyes slightly troubled. Lock away the memories yourself, she instructed simply and he nodded, wetting his lips with a sip of water. Concentrating, Lavi took the memories of today and his past memories in his mind, locking it away quickly in the back of his mind, covering it with memories of other times, he let out a sigh of relief as the turmoil and weight of the memories left him and hung his head, having been emotionally worn through by the day's events. Be more careful; always learn to sense the mind of others. You are a strong psychic, but there are stronger ones out there, she smiled wryly and he nodded. Gulping down the rest of the alcohol, Hazel got up and stretched. "Well, go sleep. Tomorrow we're returning to HQ," she told him and left the room and the boy to his own thoughts.

XXX

He had a shock when Hazel presented him to the Clan heads with a flourish. "He is ready to be called a full Bookman," she stated clearly, her voice loud in the small room. Peering down at him, the Elders murmured among themselves before nodding. "Red, you are now a full Bookman. Go by the name Red as instructed by your branch. Your real name is Lavi, but you are forbidden to reveal this to anybody outside the Clan. Go forth, then." They dismissed Lavi and Hazel with flicks of their wrists and the duo bowed before leaving the stuffy, confined room.

XXX

"What was that all about?" Lavi demanded the moment they left, and Hazel smiled. "I thought you were ready," she grinned and he rolled his eye. "I've only been with you two years." She shrugged his comment away and handed him a new scarf instead. "Here. This scarf won't tear, so it should be good for you. I fortified it with some help from my friends. And it will help you in defending your mind," she added as he took the neatly folded fabric, feeling the smooth warmth it gave and smiled softly. "Thanks, Hazel." "No problem!" she grinned and he took a turn away from her to go back to his room. That was the last time he'd see his mentor in a long, long time.

XXX

In the cafeteria, Lavi learnt new things about Hazel-senpai. Finally able to mingle with others as a full Bookman without his mentor hovering him. "Hey, hey! Lavi!" Someone was shouting at him and he walked over curiously, joining a table of youths that seemed close to his age as he pulled out a chair and sat down with his tray, digging in and listening to the gossip. "You're Hazel-senpai's apprentice, right?" one of them, a brunette female, asked first. "Erm... I'm a real Bookman now," he smiled slightly, politely, and the table erupted into congratulatory calls from everybody. "You're Hazel-senpai's second successful apprentice," they informed him, and he looked up from his meal, his green eye glinting in interest. He did know much about his mentor, to tell the truth. "She had three other apprentices, two of which lasted one and three months each before dying because their emotions carried them away and they got caught in the crossfire of various wars that they were posted to," one of the boys contributed and Lavi kept the information away quickly, reflecting only a mild, polite interest on his face. "The other is a full Bookman like you, and she's posted somewhere else for the time being. When are you going for your next mission?" the first girl inquired and he shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted and the table quieted for a second before resuming its noisiness. "Hazel-senpai is only 25 years old, I heard," someone else added and he hid his surprise. Twenty five, and she had already had four apprentices? Maybe he would have to do that too. Considering that he was already twenty three, he wondered briefly about Hazel-senpai's unknown past. Where she trained was unknown, when she joined the Clan was unknown, why and how... So many things he did not know about her in the two years they had been training together.

Of the four years since he had left the order, the first was spent wandering, the second was spent training as a normal Bookman alone, and the last two had been spent with Hazel-senpai.

"Her lover died too, a few years back," someone else said thoughtfully as Lavi's thoughts snapped back to the present. _Lover? _He kept his interest veiled, and got up as he finished his lunch. Having kept his mind to himself throughout lunch, he let it probe into the others' and found that they were shielded, but he slipped past the defences easily and read through their minds. The information was confirmed by the most of them, and there was no more to be said. "Thank you for your company," he bowed politely and left the table to put his tray away. The Clan Leaders were calling him using telepathy for his first mission; he would need to hurry.

XXX

A/N: Nya done~ inspired by The Journey: Black and White by Ezekeel, so this chapter is for Ezekeel :)

Next chapter: Tyki Mikk! No slash though, so if you're looking for anything more than hints about the Lucky pairing, look elsewhere :D


	2. Chapter 2: Tyki Mikk

Clouds, hanging over his head and the town, raining down moodily onto the silent town center with him being the only one walking in the rain, carrying an umbrella. Recent Akuma attacks had reduced the number of active citizens in the town, and most were inside avoiding the rain and the monsters. He was here on his fourth mission, eight months after he had finally become a full Bookman. Considering that all of them had been successful, he should feel proud of himself, but he wasn't. His previous persona's habit of trying to save lives was coming back to him, and he didn't want to share that particular trait with his previous alias, though the rest were fine. It got in the way of his missions and left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth when the missions were over since he could not, and would not, try to do anything that would endanger his life or his mission. His self-control had grown since his days as "Lavi the Bookman Junior" and he wouldn't let his concentration slip. Unfortunately, this was taking its toll on him.

Slipping into a bar he had frequented in the last week he had been here, he closed the umbrella, depositing it into one of the numerous pockets of his long, heavy coat, wrapping it with a piece of cloth to keep the rest of the articles in his pocket dry. The bartender greeted him with a curt nod as he usually did, his presence already something people were getting used to in the town.

Seating himself at his usual seat, he looked to his left to find a man in a top hat, his dark skin flawless except for the row of crosses on his forehead and his expensive-looking clothes impeccable. _Tyki Mikk, _he remembered hazily and nodded at the man, who nodded back, seemingly unsurprised to see the redhead to see in a place such as this.

"I didn't expect you to be the type to be here. Why?" Tyki inquired, waving his gloved hand vaguely around the dim, slightly stuffy room after the redhead had downed his first drink in one gulp and called for another. _So he was curious after all. _"To try my best to get drunk," the redhead replied indifferently, his fingers tapping out a nonsensical rhythm as he received his second drink with a nod of thanks, green eye glazed over with weariness, but not revealing any of his thoughts. "Isn't that what all depressed men want?" Tyki glanced over at the redhead, who looked worn down as he leaned his head against the table, uncovered eye slipping shut.

There was a silence as the two continued drinking, but Lavi looked barely drunk as he reached for the next one, his hand steady. His body was telling him that he was going to have a hell of a time throwing up tomorrow, but his mind was clear and he decided that he didn't care. Maybe the sickness would take an edge off the bitterness coating his heart that was dying inside from the deaths on his previous missions.

Quick as a flash, Lavi drew his dagger and plunged it into Tyki's hand, which had been steadily creeping to get at his hammer in its pouch even though it was hidden in his coat, and Tyki withdrew his hand, flicking the blood off. "I'm not that drunk yet," Lavi smiled sadly at the numerous cups littered in front of him. Tyki rolled his eyes as his hand began to heal, interest in the redhead growing by the second. "I'll see you another day, Tyki," Lavi sighed wearily, too tired to feel anything other than the numbness taking over his mind and heart, and got up, trudging out of the bar and back into the rainy midnight-silent town.

XXX

It was a tiring game of cat and mouse as Lavi evaded the Akuma while they blasted the town into ruins. Sighing, he turned around to face them, his hammer growing as he smashed them all apart, not bothering to activate it in the face of the Level One Akumas. There was a high-pitched, terrified cry in the town center, and Lavi ran towards it, defending himself with the hammer as he scooped the little girl up in his arms, then ran away again, swinging his hammer with one hand and taking out anything that stood in his way.

The finders behind the buildings watched in awe as an unknown redhead killed the Akuma with ease, rescuing a young girl along the way and wiping them all out before depositing the girl gently on the porch of a house and hopping off. "Thank you, Red-kun!" she called out happily as the redhead fled the scene, the finders not able to catch his face before he vanished in the maze of alleys that formed the east side of town.

Fifteen minutes later, the hammer-wielding redhead was reported to Aleister Crowley as he surveyed the scene, jaws agape and eyes uncomprehending.

XXX

In the shadows behind the gathering crowd, a redhead stood, quill flying across a notebook, his smile cold and slightly bitter as he finished, shut the notebook and left the scene as quickly as he had arrived.

XXX

_Diary of the Bookman_

_I honestly find it half-nonsensical to keep such a record, no matter how much the clan leaders wish for us to maintain it. Diary. Pfft. They said we were shadows, and technically, we don't exist in any of our own records. We are those people that, on an outing, were never seen in any of the numerous photographs taken on that day. It is buried in our own mind, and the others who know it- well, we are easily forgotten, after all._

_But orders are orders, and I pen this down in the privacy of my hotel room, behind a locked door, which can do absolutely nothing to protect me. Not from what I would like to defend myself from, at least._

_My twenty-third birthday passed with no fanfare and no friends, no celebration. I remember the times when I would l look forward to my birthdays for my mini-celebrations, gifts and the amount of laughter I could generate._

_But those were illusions, I suppose. _

_I have attempted to drink my troubles off various times; most times unsuccessfully, and with Tyki Mikk, but coincidentally or not I have no idea. But this is just another part of my persona; a habit integrated flawlessly into the alias that could change at any moment. Why Hazel-senpai cemented my alias in such a way and keeping my name and memories instead of wiping it is another mystery. _

_I have not heard from Hazel-senpai in thr longest time ever._ _No mail, no word, no nothing. I know she can take care of herself, but I have so many things to ask her still, things I don't understand and don't know. Bookman is still missing in action from what I know, and I sometimes wonder if all my questions will remain unanswered. _

_Perhaps the answers are for me to find myself, but I am so tired of not knowing anything, so tired of hiding, so tired of burying my past..._

XXX

A/N: Yup yup this is it for the second chapter :D


	3. Chapter 3: Road Kamelot

_**He flees from the scenes after satisfying his urge to save others, often before the exorcists arrive and the Finders are quivering in fear at the numerous Akumas. Soon, word of him is legendary; without activating his innocence, the redhead defeats the Akuma, knocking all of them away easily and finishing them off within minutes. But he always disappears immediately after, and his appearance at different scenes are random. If the Innocence is lost in the tussle, it appears in neatly wrapped bundles with no return address at the Order in the middle of the night.**_

_**Four and a half years have passed since Lavi the Bookman Junior's death.**_

XXX

_Diary of the Bookman_

_Road Kamelot is waiting for me at the entrance of the town and I nod to her before entering the town, and she seems slightly amused as she follows_ _me, her umbrella trying to convince her to return to the Millenium Earl. A talking umbrella, a female with crosses on her forehead and a much taller redheaded male with an eyepatch over one eye_ _would attract more attention than a Bookman should, but all curtains are drawn and windows and doors shut in view of the Akumas currently out and about in the town, in hiding by Road's command. Allen arrived two days ago and she has had her own fun playing with him. Strangely, she has waited for me to start again. "Tyki told me about you," she tells me, her eyes alight and I see an almost insane person behind her childish personality._ _I raise an eyebrow as my boots crunch into the dusty, rubble-dotted street, half the town almost in ruins as the two of us trod through the remains. "Allen-kun is living in that tavern," she points to an untouched house and I continue scribbling it down. Road will have to act as my impromptu guide in this town, seeing as most of the residents are either dead or scared out of their wits. "Where do you live?" I ask and she smiles, brandishing a key to what I know as her dimension. "I come and go as I please, Lavi-kun," she smirks and I smirk back. Just like me._

XXX

Allen was happily oblivious to all stares as he finished his third pot of stew and ninth loaf of bread. The stew was good and the bread was fantastic, plus the fact that he had not eaten anything else since last night was also a great booster to his appetite. Turning his head, he looked out the window (he had requested to sit at the only window with undrawn curtains) and saw a sight that chilled him to the bone; a familiar-looking redhead talking to a shorter, dark-skinned female with an umbrella despite the lack of rain. The pair continued down the street after she pointed something out to him; and he smirked back, his uncovered eye glimmering in the dim light from a lamp. Allen's breath caught as he offered her a piece of candy and she accepted it, as though they were actually _**friends.**_ "Lavi!" he couldn't stop himself from shouting as he got up suddenly, flinging the door of the tavern wide open. However, the pair was already gone, having disappeared into thin air.

XXX

It would have been romantic if the male wasn't a Bookman and the female wasn't a Noah, and the pair wasn't sitting on the side of the street. Lavi and Road watched as Allen blew up Akumas, sparks flying against a velvety-black night sky, almost akin to colourful fireworks as his Innocence got rid of Akuma after Akuma. "Want some more candy?" Lavi offered after a moment of silence when Road finished her lollipop. She grinned and took the proffered jar of jelly beans, picking out a few of her favourite flavours and eating them one by one as they watched the scene unfold from in front of them. "You are fond of Allen?" Though it was more of a statement than a question, Road confirmed it with a nod and Lavi turned to look at her properly, taking the chance to attempt reading her mind. Unfortunately, it was extremely well-shielded, although she didn't look to be putting in any effort in maintaining it. "Not all the Noahs can shield their minds," she said quietly, almost sadly, as she withdrew another handful of jelly beans from the jar. "I'm the only one who can do it this well; you can probably sneak into Millennie's," she grinned at the redhead and he averted his gaze to the cobblestones beneath his feet. He was almost itching to take off his eye-patch; he always had this compulsion when he was troubled or couldn't read somebody properly. Not even Bookman, or Hazel-senpai knew what hid under the eye-patch. While he had no doubt that the Noah next to him would not tease him, and would be at least interested, he stopped himself by interlacing his fingers. He wasn't quite ready to show his most powerful card just yet.

"That eye-patch... I have seen a similar one before," her grin grew to Cheshire Cat proportions and Lavi carefully suppressed his surprise. He had had this eye-patch handcrafted for him since the day he was born, and there was no way she could have seen it before.

"Well- the appetizer is over, now we come to the main course. Will you stay for dessert as well?" Road asked as Lavi got up and the two began walking down the street towards Allen, and he smiled. "Of course, if my Road wishes it," he jested and she grinned happily.

XXX

Lavi watched with mild interest as Allen was trapped in the maze of Road's dimension, gaze swinging about anxiously as he looked for both Road and the way out of the dimension at the same time. "Allen-kun~ I have some more time to play with you today, Millennie said so. And we have a guest here today too, so be a good boy and I'll show him to you later, okay?" Road's voice echoed throughout the space and Allen swung around wildly by instinct to parry an attack from her candles. "What guest?" Allen demanded as Road smiled cheerily at him from where she was hovering on her umbrella. "He'll be staying for dessert too, so be nice, Allen-kun~" her voice echoed in the dimension and just like that, the duo's battle started.

XXX

"Road-chan, why has the war not ended yet?" Lavi questioned as he stood beside her, in the shadows of a large cupboard a distance away from Allen who was fighting a fake Road. "Mmm? Because Nea has refused to return to Millennie, and Allen-kun refuses to die. Besides, he has not destroyed time yet," she shrugged. Lavi snorted in amusement, and the duo was silent as Allen continued fighting, his ragged exhalations one of the best indications of his weariness. "Will you kill him?" he asked again, and she paused from chewing her candy, her lips pouting as she considered the implications. "No. He's Nea's incarnation after all, and Nea is mine~" she smiled childishly, and Lavi glanced at her thoughtfully as he processed that information. "So you like Nea inside Allen, not Allen?" "I like Allen too, but I like Nea better. And I like Lavi-kun too, so you have to stay with me, okay?" Almost possessively, she hopped onto his back, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms gripping his shoulders, like an oversized koala.

Road Kamelot was a Noah, a Noah who had had all that she loved and cared for somehow taken away, in some way or another. The Millennium earl was too busy to care for her much, Allen treated her like an enemy, and Nea and Mana had been killed, and now, couldn't surface to talk to her. _That's lonely,_ Lavi pondered as he watched Allen kill the fake Road, thus prompting her to reveal herself. He didn't know if that was her real self or not, or what she would do next, but he let her down carefully, and her smile disappeared as she jumped onto her umbrella.

XXX

"Allen-kun~ say hello to my new big brother~" It was only when Allen had destroyed the Fake Road that Road revealed herself, sitting on Lavi's shoulder, her feet dangling and Lero over her shoulder as she leered down at Allen, who was much shorter than Lavi. "Lavi?" Allen's eyes widened as he took a step back, having been stunned into almost incomprehension. "Red, at your service," Lavi bowed slightly and supported Road as she slid down, her umbrella tapping an erratic rhythm on the floor. "See, Allen-kun, he's my new big brother," Road introduced to him with a sly smile. "Lavi? You're on the Noah's side?" Allen found his tongue and demanded angrily, activating Crown Clown yet again. "You know, if you get angry, Nea will take control," Road reminded Allen, but he ignored her and slashed at Lavi, who ducked easily and drew the first of his daggers.

"To answer your question, Allen-kun, I'm not on the Noah's side. I am not on anybody's side. I am just Road's new older brother," he informed Allen with a slight smirk as his dagger clashed against Allen's innocence, digging into its surface and cracking the sword. "Please refrain from attacking me without reason," he told Allen simply, who stared at his arm as though he couldn't believe it, then slumped in a faint. "You gave him quite the shock," Road observed amusedly and Lavi shook his head.

"Thank you so much, Lavi-kun. For once, somebody has exceeded my expectations, not just as a poor, broken doll," this voice was a calm, collected one, coming from Allen's body as Allen lifted his head and stared Lavi in the eye with honey-amber orbs that made Road grin and Lavi stare back.

_Nea walker._

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A/N: Chapter three~ I don't particularly like this chapter, but oh well. What do you guys think? Next chapter, Nea Walker :D


	4. Chapter 4: Nea Walker

His smile didn't unnerve Lavi; the intention and meaning behind his words did. "Poor broken doll?" the redhead raised an eyebrow mildly at the Noah who just smiled cheerily, which looked eerie on Allen's face with its unknown intentions lurking beneath the surface. "Road, could we please have tea?" Nea inquired of Road, and she shrugged, a table appearing laden with sweet snacks and tea. Taking a seat at the side at the head of the table, the spot that Lavi knew was normally occupied by the Millennium Earl, Lavi sat down on his left side, with Road on Nea's right.

"Excellent. Road sure has grown up in the time I was away. I haven't seen you for two years, since the last time I surfaced, correct?" Nea smiled softly at Road, who rolled her eyes in distaste. "I don't age, Nea, you know that," she harrumphed as she picked up a plate of gingerbread from the center of the table and started nibbling at the beautifully iced gingerbread, icing first, of course. Lavi helped himself to the biscuits, dipping them into his tea and breaking off small portions each time as he ate the biscuits, while Nea simply sipped at the tea, watching the other two over the brim of his teacup.

"Lavi-kun sure has exceeded my expectations," he stated finally, setting down the empty teacup, the china clinking lightly as he did so. Lavi stayed silent, continuing on his biscuits, ignoring the Noah and not looking him in the eye. "Forgive me, it was my mistake. I am Nea Walker, of the Noah Clan, and you are Lavi-kun of the Bookman Clan, are you not?" Nea said again, and Lavi raised an eyebrow at the other man. The silence was heavy, hanging in the air, and Lavi finally finished his biscuits, his lips parting to speak, which made Nea relax visibly.

"I go by the name Red outside the Bookman Clan, if you would be kind enough to address me as such. Honestly, Road-chan, just because you can call me by that name doesn't mean you should call me that in front of others," Lavi said first, quietly, making Road grin devilishly as he adopted a hurt, almost reprimanding tone of voice.

"Red-kun is an excellent actor," Nea concluded and Lavi shrugged. "It is required, and I will do what is required," he replied simply, and Nea scanned the man in front of him with more than a hint of curiosity. "This is the first time I have known a Bookman with psychic abilities," he said finally, and Lavi's expression didn't change as he picked up the sugar bowl and started eating sugar cubes straight out of it. "But this is not the first time you have seen my eyepatch." The reply was polite, cold, and a statement, not a question. _So Nea had noticed me reading his mind from the start, just that he will not- or cannot- defend himself._ Making a mental note, Lavi watched the Noah, green gaze watchful and slightly interested. "Since you said it that way, yes," Nea's honey-amber eyes searched him yet again, gauging him, and Lavi met his gaze with cold politeness.

"Fine. Take care of Road for me, will you? I made a deal with Allen-kun after all, to only come out when needed," Nea finally conceeded and retreated back into Allen's body. "Ahhh, what a bother," Lavi complained, but the smile on his lips said otherwise. "Come on, Road-chan," Lavi called out to the Noah that had watched the entire exchange silently with interest, slinging Allen's now limp body over his shoulder then offering her a ride on his other shoulder. "Road-tama! He's a Bookman, lero! And we should report this to Earl-sama, lero!" the umbrella opened its mouth then, screeching in Lavi's ear as Road sat safely on his shoulder. "Oh, shut up," Lavi sighed and plunged one of his daggers into the umbrella's pumpkin-head. "Lero! Road-tama!" the umbrella screamed into Road's ear, and she punched it, making it shut up for good before the pair left the dimension.

XXX

"Urggggh," Allen groaned as he opened his eyes. He was aching all over, but he had survived worse, so he forced himself to sit up and examine his surroundings. Panic shot through his body as he saw Lavi sitting opposite him in a high-backed chair, his posture relaxed as he read a book, seemingly unaware of the exorcist that had just awoken. Flexing his left hand experimentally and feeling no pain, he lifted his left arm to find it fully healed. However, there was a cuff around it, and he tried twisting his hand out of it to no avail. "That's a Chinese handcuff, don't try. It'll tighten," The quiet voice made Allen look up at the redhead, who had flipped a page in his book, looking almost bored. "Stay still for a bit. Road-chan wants to talk to you, I think, Allen-san," he continued, seemingly oblivious to Allen staring at him across the room with a mixture of apprehension, fear, confusion and sadness. "Oh don't worry, I'm not an enemy. I'm not an ally either, though, so you'd better pay some attention to that," Lavi motioned to a Tease that had flown in through the window, landing on Allen's head. "Is that you... Lavi?" Allen blinked at the redhead, who shrugged, flipping yet another page of his book. "I go by the name Red, of the Bookman clan, if you would please. Candy?" he offered to the white-haired exorcist as he snapped his book shut and procured a box of candy canes. "It's not Christmas yet, but oh well," he tossed the wrapped candy to Allen, who caught it with ease and slight surprise. "By the way, that handcuff won't let you leave the room, and it restricts you from using your innocence," Lavi informed him, unwrapping a candy cane of his own and starting on it.

All this seemed so familiar to Allen, yet so foreign; sharing sweets and snacks with Lavi while he himself was lying in a hospital bed, except that this was not the Lavi he knew, and it was also not a hospital bed he was lying in, the Tease on his head and handcuff around his hand being the most glaringly obvious fact.

Silence hung heavily in the room as Lavi continued on his book, and Allen was left to let his gaze and mind wander through his memories and around the room he was currently trapped in. Resigning himself to the fact that whatever Lavi had said was true (for it had to be Lavi, except that something had changed about him), Allen examined the room with interest.

Sunlight streamedthrough theshut window, a warm, goldenglow that he stretched out to touch as he got up from the bed to stand beside the window. The walls were a pale green, and Lavi sat in a padded red velvet chair with a small table next to him, though he placed nothing on it. The door wasmade of glossy, dark wood,but Allen was sure it was bed sheets were a pure white, something Allen did not expect, seeing as the Noahs were probably against the idea of white, symbolising purity, something they definitely were not. Next to the bed stood a small night-stand, and Allen there was a blue vase containing a few small, white daisies.

_Daisies. I remember them. Lavi gave them to Lenalee before, risking Komui's wrath, the day before he 'died'. She told me after that, that it meant innocence. Did he know what was going to happen? Innocence..._

Allen snapped out of his memories as the door was kicked open andRoad strode in, Lero still slung over her shoulder and screeching at her to return to the Earl immediately. "Oh shut up, Lero. Allen-kun~!" she jumped over and latched herself onto the white-haired who staggered back with the weight, gasping for air as her arm tightened around his neck accidentally. "Road-tamaaaaaaaaaa!" Lero screamed and Lavi plucked the umbrella off the female Noah with ease, using it to play a reverse version of the knife game on the table, with five daggers stuck in a circle on the table next to him while Lero was plunged into the gaps between the blades. "Uwaaaaaaah! Road-tama! Save me! Earl-sama!" The other three ignored Lero's screaming as Lavi continued amusedly and Road grinned at Allen. "As agreed, we're sending you on your way after. This is only a part of my dimension after all~ Lavi has done the pleasure of healing you, so be on your merry way!" Road grinned at Allen. 'But before that..." Retrieving a key from her pocket, Road waved it in Allen's face before tossing it to a surprised Lavi, who dropped Lero almost onto one of the blades, making the umbrella scream in terror. "Road-tama!" it screamed while Lavi did an experimental hand-wave with his hand holding the key. In mid-air, the doors out of the dimension opened, and Road grinned at Allen. "Lavi is a Noah now, no stealing him away from me~ Now out you go!" Road shoved Allen lightly and Allen fell through the doors, paralyzed and too confused to do otherwise.

XXX

Lenalee, Kanda, Komui, Reever, Aleister and Miranda listened in a stunned silence as Allen related his story. "That would explain the sightings of that red-headed phantom exorcist that the Finders have encountered," Reever scratched his head, pushing his fringe back, agitation obvious in his movements. "So, Lavi-kun has joined the Noahs for real..." Lenalee sighed as she looked down at her lap, blinking back the tears that had started to form. Aleister and Miranda were already crying openly, while Kanda was stabbing at the table with Mugen, probably imagining the table as Lavi. "Well, this is not altogether unexpected, actually. The Lavi you knew probably never existed; he was just a persona as part of Lavi's Bookman training," Komui mentioned quietly, making the rest of them turn to stare at him. "Bookmen take on different personas for different jobs, along with different names, changes in habits, character, friends, etc. They never have a fixed persona. Have you ever seen Lavi angry?" Komui asked them and they all exchanged glances and shook their heads. "His persona is such that he is calm mostly, cheerful, and never angry, always the one to mke peace, and always seemingly comfortable in his surroundings and himself, no matter what the circumstances. That is the persona of "Lavi". This "Red" that the 14th has described for you, Allen, is that he is cold, polite, unwilling to get emotionally attached, rational and extremely powerful. Also, he does not seem to get angry easily. He does everything with a reason. To be honest, this "Red" might be a threat to the Order," Komui told them, and Allen stiffened at the allegation. "Lavi will never betray us!" he protested, Lenalee, Krory and Miranda supporting him with nods of agreement. "Lavi might not, but Red might," Kanda reminded them and stood up, sheathing Mugen carelessly and flinging his report on his latest mission at Komui. "I'm off," he told them coldly and just like that, the meeting was adjourned.

XXX

"Are you sure it was okay to let him go like that?" Road asked Lavi as the two sat on the streets of another destroyed town, sharing sweets yet again. There was no exorcist today, and since all the townsfolk had already been evacuated, Lavi took a break and relaxed. Time in Road's dimension passed differently from that in the outside world, with time in Road's dimension slower than that of the World's, but Lavi didn't mind. It wasn't like he was ever in a hurry anyway. He had been a similar dimension for his training with Hazel-senpai and time lags didn't affect him as it normally did after that.

"It's okay, because I got what I wanted," Lavi lifted the girl onto his shoulders, the ghost of a smile drifting lazily onto his face. "What's that?" she inquired, slightly interested, and he opened his notebook and showed her a detailed illustration.

Or more accurately, a detailed illustration of the song used to control the Ark currently in use by the Black Order.

XXX

_"When the sun goes to sleep_  
_And the murderers come out to play_  
_In this deserted ghost town_  
_Where everybody are masked phantoms~"_

XXX

A/N: Hmmm. I like this chapter :D thanks so much Ezekeel ^~^ to all other readers; PLEASE leave some reviews cuz I wanna hear ideas that can inspire the plot bunnies xD thanks so much for reading!


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